Car-roof.



i No. 849, 518. PATENTED APR. 9, 1907.

w. J, WHEELER. GAR ROOF.-

APPLIOATIOH FILED NOV. 6, 1906.

3' I /lT/V88E8: f INVENTOR' X 7 ATTORNEY3.

UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM J. WHEELER, OF FORT WAYNE, INDIANA.

CAR-ROOF.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 9, 1907.

Application filed November 5,1906. Serial No. 341,969.

Too/ll whom it Jnay concern.-

' Be it known that I, WVILLIAM J. WHEELER,-

I a citizen of the United States, residing at Fort Wayne, in the county of Allen, in the I State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Roofs; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part ofv freightcars-are' objectionable because they warp and check and are subject to destructive expansion and contraction by constant exposure to the weather and that metal roofs which are made'by sheet-metal sec- .tions with overlapping and flattened edges are objectionable because they are expensive to make, difficult to repair, and the seams thus flattened are, soon broken and destroyed by the expansion and contraction incidental to use. The primary object, therefore, of my invention is to provide a comparatively cheap and durable car-roof formed of a plurality of 5 non-corrosive sheet-metal sections havin a novel form of longitudinal interlocking flanges on their opposite ed es and upon 375 their inner ends to permit. a ee expansion and contraction thereof without injury or derangement and a novel means for detach- ;ably securing the outer ends of the said sec tions to the car-body, whereby the interlock- 'ing roofing-sections can readily be placed in position, and any one ofthe sections can easily and readily be removed for repairs without disturbing or destroying the next adjacent or other roofingsections.

My invention consists of a series of interlocking sheet-metal sections of novel form and arrangement adapted to permit a free expansion and contraction thereof and a lurality of detachable brackets in which are oosely mounted rodsby which the roofingsections are firmly secured in position. a

. I The principal novel features of my present invention resides in the construction for securing the roofin sections in their interloc'ked but detac able union and in the 1 means for securing them to the car-body.

- side thereof.

Similar reference-numerals indicate like parts in the several views of the drawings, in which Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view 60 of a freight-car having my invention in position thereon, the same being broken away in part to show-certain details ofconstruction.

Fig. 2 is side view of a portion of the roof with the running-board and two of the sad- 6 5"- dle-blo'cks removed and showing the manner of inserting or removing one ofthe interlocking sections. Fig. 3 is a cross-section of the upperportion of a car having my improved roof-thereon, taken on the line a: m, Fig. 1, to7c show the construction of the interlocking inner ends of the sections. Fi 4 is an en larged detail end view of two azI'acent flanges in their interlocked position, showing the relative arrangement thereof to admit of the. 7 5

Fig. 5 is a usual expansion and contraction. perspective view of the auxiliary plate which closes the space between the sections at their front edges, the same being shown in con 'nection with a portion of the cooperating rod 80 and bracket.

Fi I 6 is a bottom plan of this plate, showing t e transverse slot in the T c ear-body 1 of the usual or other proper form and of any desired dimensions has the 8 usual or any pro er roof-sheetin 2, supported'at theirends by the sides 3 of the car and at their inner ends by a ridge-plate 4 or other proper manner. On this sheeting 2- a plurality ofsheet-metal roofing-sections 5, pref- 9o erably of galvanized iron or other non-corrosive material, are secured by an interlocking union which admits of proper expansion and contraction as. follows: Each roofing-section 5 has its inner end provided with an ihvefted- 9 5 l-shaped flange 6, Fig. 3, adapted to form an interlocked engagement with the corresponding flange 6 on the adjacent roofingsection on the opposite side of the roof. Its

lower end is bent into a downward and inwe turned flan e 11, Fig. 3, adapted to receive longitudina ly the horizontal rods 12. Each section 5 is also provided upon its sides with longitudinal flanges adapted for an interlockingunion with the adjacent longitudinal 10 flange of the companion sections upon each These interlocking flanges are of approximately equal length with the sections and are formed by coiling one ed e of the roofing-section upwardly and away rom 110 the body of the section into a receiving-coil 7, whose free edge is bent into substantially diaof its next adjacent section upon one side thereof, and a coil 9 of sufficiently lessdiameter toloosely fit within the coil 7 of the adj acent roofing-section upon the other side thereof, as shown in ,Figs. 2 and 4, whereby these interlocking coiled flanges 7 and 9 can readily be disengaged or replaced longitudinally, and they are so securely interlocked that they cannot be separated laterally without destroying the flanges.

The flanges 11 of the respective sections are slightly separated from each other, as shown in Fig. 2, to admit the upper laterally apertured end of the brackets 13, adapted to receive the rods 12, as shown, and have their lower ends rigidly secured to the side 3 of the car in any proper manner.' The rods 12 have their outer ends downward bent and formed into an eye 14, which is loosely se cured in the apertured upper end of the respective brackets 15, fixed in the proper relation upon the car-body. The inner ends of these rods preferably overlap at the center of the middle roofingectionfor greater rigidity therein. 1 preferably close the said spaces between the ends of the flanges. 11 in use by means of a series of small plates 16, Figs. 5;and 6,.having its forward end pro 'vided with a down and inturned flange 17, similar in contour to the flange 11, but of less diameten'and is adapted to fit snugly within the same and is adapted to receive the rod 12. This flange 17 has a transverse slot 18 flangcs'fi and a longitudinal recess 23 for midway of its ends to receive the upper end of the brackets 13, as shown in Fig. 5. The employment of these auxiliary plates 16 makes the roof entirely waterproof.

The end roof-sections 19, Figs. 1 and 2, have their outer flange turned downward and' inward to form the respective edges of the" roof, as shown at 20, which perfectly excludes all moisture at that point of the roof.

The usual or any proper saddle-blocks 21 having a central transverse recess upon their lower face for the respective interlockpld t e inner adjacent ends of the flanges 7.- The blocks are firmly secured in position upon the roof in any proper, manner. Any proper running-board 22 is fixed upon these blocks in any suitable manner.

When it is desired to repair or replace any of theroofing-sections, the operator simply removes the running-board and the necessary saddle-blocks, detaches the proper one of'the brackets 15, then withdraws the corresponding rod 12 from; within the coils 11, and detaches the proper brackets 13, after which he can readily disengage the interlocked flanges 6 of such sections and then withdraw them longitudinally downward, as shown in Fig. 2. In the same manner any or all of the roofing-sections can readily and conveniently be replaced when desired. Itis obvious that when these roofing-sections are interlocked at their upper and inner ends by the flanges 6 and attheir sides by the lon-- gitud'inal flanges 7 and 9 and firmly secured in such position by the saddle-blocks 21' and the rods 12 all parts of the roof will be rigidly secured in position, and yet will admit of considerable expansion and contraction by means of its interlocking flanges without injury or derangement to the roof or any portion thereof.

Having thus described my invention and. the manner ofemploying the same, what I desire to seeure'by Letters Patent is- 4 1. A car-roof formed of a pluralityof inetallic roofingsectionshaving their inner ends upon theirouter endswith a n inwar ly-coiled flange and means for securing the lower end .of the said sections in position, comprising a pair of horizontal rods arranged in the said IOO named flanges,and a pliiralityof brackets supporting the said rods-as described.

2. In a car-roofa series oi! metallic roofing- .sections having locking upturned flanges upon their upper ends, and down and inturned flanges upon their lower ends,

and having longitudinal coiled interlocking flan es u 7011 their 0 osite edges wherein h the said sections are adapted for a free. expansion and contraction without in ury thereof; means for securing the upper end ingtheir locked relation; and means for'see curing the lower end of the said sections to the car-body, consisting of a plurality of up right brackets fixed on the adjacent side of the carbody, and a pair of meeting rods loosely mounted in the said iiiturncd flanges and supported by the said brackets.

Signed by me at Fort Wayne, Allen county, State of'Indiana, this .l-l-th day of.()ctober.. 11.111906. V I ,WILl il. \.\1 J. -WIIEELER.

Witnesses:

WATTS P. DENNY, AUGUSTA Vin F: m: 

